St. Vincent (2014)

A young boy whose parents have just divorced finds an unlikely friend and mentor in the misanthropic, bawdy, hedonistic war veteran who lives next door.

Director:

Theodore Melfi

Writer:

Theodore Melfi (screenplay)

Stars:

Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 6 wins & 21 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bill Murray	...	Vincent
Melissa McCarthy	...	Maggie
Naomi Watts	...	Daka
Chris O'Dowd	...	Brother Geraghty
Terrence Howard	...	Zucko
Jaeden Martell	...	Oliver (as Jaeden Lieberher)
Kimberly Quinn	...	Nurse Ana
Lenny Venito	...	Coach Mitchell
Nate Corddry	...	Terry, the Banker
Dario Barosso	...	Ocinski
Donna Mitchell	...	Sandy
Ann Dowd	...	Shirley, Sunnyside Administrator
Scott Adsit	...	David
Reg E. Cathey	...	Gus
Deirdre O'Connell	...	Linda

Storyline

Vincent is an old Vietnam vet whose stubbornly hedonistic ways have left him without money or a future. Things change when his new next-door neighbor's son, Oliver, needs a babysitter and Vince is willing enough for a fee. From that self-serving act, an unexpected friendship forms as Vincent and Oliver find so much of each other's needs through each other. As Vincent mentors Oliver in street survival and other worldly ways, Oliver begins to see more in the old man than just his foibles. When life takes a turn for the worse for Vincent, both them find the best in each other than no one around them suspects.

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Plot Keywords:

stroke recovery | next door neighbor | grumpy old man | divorced parents | horse race | 

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Taglines:

Love Thy Neighbor

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material including sexual content, alcohol and tobacco use, and for language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Patricia Pinto played a teacher.

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Goofs

When Oliver is gathering the facts about Vincent in Viet Nam from those who knew him, he is told that Vincent was a "Sergeant Major". Then, he's told about Vincent saving the guys in his unit and being awarded a bronze star. However, when they show the picture of him getting his Star from President Lyndon B. Johnson, there are 2nd lieutenant bars on his collar. Also, born in 1946 and going into the army at 18, would make Vincent a maximum 23 yo when Johnson left office. No one can make Sergeant major in 5 years, not even in a war; though he could have gotten a field commission to 2nd lieutenant.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Vincent: So this Irish guy knocks on this lady's door and says, you know, "Have you got any, uh... Any, uh... work for me?" And she says, "Um, well, you now, as a matter of fact, you could paint the porch." 'Bout two hours later, the guy comes back and says, "I've finished, ma'am, but just for your information, it's not a porch, it's a BMW."
[bar patrons stunned]

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Crazy Credits

The credits play over a scene with Vincent trying to have a cigarette in his backyard and then later watering the lawn.

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Connections

Features The Golden Girls (1985)

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Soundtracks

Start a War
Written by Matt Berninger (as Matthew Berninger) and Aaron Dessner
Performed by The National
Courtesy of 4AD Ltd.
By arrangement with Beggars Group Media Limited

User Reviews

Great movie with a lot of heart

I don't review many movies, but after watching St. Vincent, I thought the 7.5 rating was a bit unfair and I wanted to put my two cents in.

I went into this thinking I was going to watch a comedy. I figured it was going to be like a funny version of Gran Torino. But this movie is a drama with a lot heart that also has some great humor peppered throughout. It's insane that IMDb categorizes it as a 'comedy' only. To me, this movie is first and foremost a drama. There are heart-wrenching moments, sweet moments, and funny moments, all done very well.

I love Bill Murray, but I've never thought of him as a great actor. Boy was I pleasantly surprised here. There were times when I nearly forgot I was watching Bill Murray. He absolutely nailed the role. He made me laugh, and he made me grab more than one tissue.

It's not a complicated story, and not a terribly unique story, but it's a good story. And it has plenty of great moments that will tug at your heart. If you want a heartwarming drama that will make you laugh and make you cry, you can't go wrong with St. Vincent. And you'll probably walk away with a bit more respect for Bill Murray as an actor. I know I did. I highly recommend St. Vincent.

8.5/10

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

24 October 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

St. Vincent De Van Nuys

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$109,878, 12 October 2014

Gross USA:

$44,137,712

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$54,837,234

Company Credits

Production Co:

Chernin Entertainment, Crescendo Productions, Goldenlight Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1